I had an odd dream the other night... but it made me realise something about the fathers who use mumsnet...

[EachPeachPearMum]

they don't namechange!
(well, Pan excepted, who is a flighty thing, but hey)

It's funny, as DH and I have previously discussed how useful the namechange thing is for mners- as it freely allows you to ask advice on topics that would otherwise completely embarrass or freak you out. On most fora, you cannot namechange (unless you register a 2nd, or 3rd account sock puppets ahoy!) but as I pointed out to DH a lot of the real usefulness of mn comes down to the fact that it can be truly anonymous if you wish it to be, and despite recent issues, I think it is a real strength of mn.

DH always uses his own name on the forums he frequents, though he does use them in mainly a professional capacity. I find this astonishing, not least because he has a unique name, (as do I) but then he never posts frivolous or inflammatory remarks.

Dads of mn... why do you not feel the need to namechange?

On the subject of profiles; Mr Goth, I'm rather disappointed by your photo from 1994. Where is the back-combed hair? The black drainpipe jeans? The spooky twisty-armed dancing?

Pleated trousers? You clearly took very early retirement.

I steer well clear of AIBU so I don't need to name change

I surely did take early retirement from Gothdom... any illusions of this disappeared circa 1986.

(I found a passport from 1983 recently. At the time I considered myself a very edgy Bunnymen fan. The photo reveals an acne ridden David Sylvian wannabe. Those years, they have not been kind...)

Excellent! Great idea for a name. Ironic on a name changing type thread! Oh well

As for the OP - I guess they don't embarrass themselves as much? And aren't as fickle!

eachpeach - i know a few mners, and they namechange to hide their real opinions/embarassments mostly

i dont often offend, but when i do its only cos i'm speaking my mind. so not worth doing if i'm gonna hide behind another name.

Dh also think the namechanging on MN is strange - he is a keen member of another forum for bike nerds and they never change their names. And they are hugely rude to each other, too. I think a lot of it is a female, crowd-pleasing, not-wanting-to-offend thing. I'm sure there's a thesis in there somewhere.

I'm also quite concerned by unquietdad's mention of knob rash... Anything you want to tell us UQD?

Hoochiemomma the correct word for the plural of a Roman forum is fora... I believe for an online forum the correct plural is forums... but I'm sure UQD can put me right.
I used both to cover myself!

mostlysockpuppets great namechange.... but who are you?

singledadofthree - yes- it is their real opinions that can come out.
Why do women feel they can't reveal them without namechanging though?- this was the root of my question really.

ilovemydog - what did I say about sarah palin? Was it anything more controversial than "I'd never vote for her, but I'd shag her"?

Yes, 'fora' is technically right, but 'forums' is acceptable colloquial usage.

Always remember the anecdote about the two Cambridge professors. Apparently one Cambridge professor recently emailed another to suggest that they should meet up for Sunday lunch and "discuss some conundra about pendula". The answer he received was:

"Surely we both have more interesting things to occupy us on a Sunday afternoon than sitting on our ba doing sa?"

That only took me about half an hour to work out...

UQD- that is very droll! DH will love it

UQD - something like that...

UQD - I'm still laughing from the last time you told that joke.

Splendid!

I namechanged...

Little bit of name-change nob-rash was it KH?

Nah. Just didn't fancy the missus finding out what I'd been asking about.

Nice pun, Peachy!

PANfriedpumpkin
DeePANcrispPANeven
PANtigone
BrotherPAN

surely there's a difference between namechanging with a purpose of cloaking oneself, and having a bit of inventive fun, a la cod's various incarnations??

My astute, well-reasoned and erudite postings usually reveal my ultimate identity in any event......surely.

yes Pan... you don't exactly hide yourself during namechanges, I know.

oddly, I DO miss UCM, and her infamous attempt at namechanging over her smelly fanjo. I see why MN banned her, and Iwas one who was aghast at her rants.....

the oddest thing is when posters namechange for 'embarassing' debate, as if the lack of identity on MN, or any other site, isn't enough and there is a felt need to 'double' the protection with a further gambit.

as for blokes NOT changing? Well LOADS of females don't bother either.....it's just that there are so few of us around as dads/males that our habits are more noticed, prob. Possibly.
Having said that, I DID notice retiredgoth posting as "LillyThePink" during his sabbatical, but I said nothing...at the time.

"I DO miss UCM, and her infamous attempt at namechanging over her smelly fanjo."

WTF? I missed this completely...

Perhaps MN blokes reveal less about themselves in the first place and therefore feel more anonymous?

it's in Mumsnetclassics, Kev. She thought she namechanged to discuss her smelly fanjo. But hadn't. Cue the first response to her opening post being from Countess Dracula "UCM, is that you?".